Ignition apparatus



Jan. 4, 1949. 'r. A. NEWTON 2,457,916

IGNITION APPARATUS Filed Jan. s, 1946 2 Shets-Sheet 1 .I IN! Q The: 17011.7 )9, We W10 I11 m'u tor .Jan. 4, 1949. T. A. NEWTON 2,457,916

IGNITION AFPARATUS I Filed Jan. 8, 1946 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I lll'clltor T/labousfl 102021 waaih I Attornq 'x Patented Jan. 4, 1949 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE ii'filiiffifii .1. Application January 1;, 1946, Serial No. 039.713 l'claim. (o1. 123-141;)

1 The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in ignition apparatus for internal combustion engines and more particularly to. a combined coil and distributor for the spark plugs of the engine.

An important object of the present invention is to provide means for mounting the coil of the ignition system of the engine in the cap of the distributor whereby to arrange the coil and distributor in close operative relation and compactly mounted in a single housing.

A further object of invention is to provide a more efllcient arrangement for the circuit wires leading from the distributor to the spark plugs of the engine.

Another object of invention is to provide a looking switch for the ignition system also mounted in the cap of the distributor and independent of the usual ignition switch controlled on the instrument panel of a motor driven vehicle.

A further object of invention is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is eillcient and reliable in operation, neat and attractive in appearance and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects. and advantages reside in the detailed construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsforming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like partsthroughout, and in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view.

.Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the distributor cap.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the combined coil and distributor.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on a line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on 4 p. line 5-5 of Figure 1. and

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the terminal between the distributor contact and the spark plug wire embedded in the distributor cap.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed tional construction and including the resilient Mounted on the base 9 is a cap I. detachably 'secured in position thereon by a conventional form of snap spring catches II.

The cap it is provided with a lower partition l2 from which the center contact l3 projects for engagement with the finger 9 of the rotor and from which a plurality of contacts It also proiect and positioned in circular arrangement in the cap for successive engagement by the spring contact 9 of the outer end of the rotor in the usual manner.

From the contacts ll circuit wires l5 extend to inverted sockets l8 opening through the bottom of a shoulder i1 extending circumferentially around the side of the cap 1.0, the sockets being adapted for receiving the ends of circuit wires l8 leading to the spark plugs of an internal combustion engine.

Above the shoulder l1 the cap ii! is of a domeshaped construction and is formed in its upper portion with a horizontal partition is to provide a chamber in the cap and in which a coil 2| of conventional construction is positioned, the coil including the primary winding 22 and secondary winding 23.

The secondary winding 23 is connected to the center contact i3 by a circuit wire 24.

A chamber 25 is formed in the top of the cap above the chamber 20 and in the top of which is secured the barrel 26 of a key controlled lock for receiving a key 21 in the top thereof. The lock includes a screw threaded for vertical adjustment in the barrel and to the bottom of the screw and insulated therefrom is a transverse con ductor 28 of resilient material adapted upon rotation by the key 21 for vertical movement of its ends into and out of engagement with contact buttons 29 carried by the partition l9 in the chamber 25. One of the contact buttons is connected to the primary winding 22 of the coil while the other contact button has a circuit wire 39 attached thereto and extending outwardly through the sides of the cap It for connecting an ignition wire 3| thereto by means of a conventional form of connector 32, the ignition wire 1| being controlled by the usual ignition switch on the instrument panel of the vehicle. The key is enclosed on top of the chamber 25 by a cap 25a.

From the lower end of the primary winding 22 of the coil extends a circuit wire 33 and connected to'a terminal 34 projecting through the wall of the base 6 of the distributor housing by means of a connector 35 embedded in the cap II and which includes a spring projected plunger 39 slidabiy mounted in the lower edge of the cap Ill. The plunger 36 is adapted to engage the inner end 01' the terminal 3! to complete the circuit therewith and the terminal 34 provides a connection for the timing mechanism (not shown) of conventional construction also mounted in the base of the distributor.

The form of invention illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings, the distributor cap Illa has the circuit wires Ha embedded therein leading from the contacts Ila to the sockets lid for the spark plug wires Ila. 1

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In apparatus of the class described, a housing adapted to cap a distributor having a rotor, said housing comprising a pair of upper and lower separate chambers therein, the lower chamber 4 adapted to contain a coil for connection to the distributor, contacts depending from the bottom of the lower chamber and adapted to be engaged by said rotor, an ignition wire leading into the lower chamber, a pair of contacts in the bottom of the upper chamber adapted to be connected to said wire and coil, a lock barrel suspended in the upper chamber having a member threaded therethrough for rotary adjustment toward and from the bottom of said upper chamber, a conductor carried by said member for bridging said contacts when said member is adjusted toward the bottom of said upper chamber, and a key for rotating said member, said housing having a closure removable for access to said member to insert said key therein.

THAIBOUS A. NEWTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,246,822 Shaw et al. Nov. 13, 1917 1,501,486 Hunt et a1 July 15, 1924 1,559,457 Rist Oct. 27, 1925 1,934,199 Martin Nov. 7, 1933 1,936,710 Fiedler Nov, 28, 1933 2,010,984 Fitzgerald Aug. 13, 1935 

